יוֹדִ֣יעַ דְּרָכָ֣יו לְמֹשֶׁ֑ה לִבְנֵ֥י יִ֝שְׂרָאֵ֗ל עֲלִילֽוֹתָיו׃
ער האָט געלאָזט װיסן משהן זײַנע װעגן, די קינדער פֿון ישׂראל זײַנע מעשׂים.
Rabbeinu Bahya
הודיעני נא את דרכיך, “make Your ways known to me.” According to the plain meaning of the text the word דרכיך means “Your attributes.” The “ways” of the Lord are His attributes, His virtues. This is the way David used the expression in Psalms 103,7 where he wrote יודיע דרכיו למשה, “He would make Moses conversant with His attributes.” The fact is that in that psalm David immediately proceeds to list these attributes of the Lord, such as רחום וחנון ה' ארך אפים ורב חסד, “the Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger abounding in steadfast love.” Moses attempted to gain an understanding of G’d’s essence by means of being told His attributes. G’d’s activities were to be the clue to understanding His essence.
G’d responded to him in the following way: “I will allow all My goodness to pass before you” (verse 19). Moses’ second request, i.e. הראני נא את כבודך, “let me see Your glory” (verse 19), was denied. In response to this second request G’d told Moses that it is not given to mortal man to have a vision of G’d’s glory while alive.
Solomon elaborates concerning these two requests of Moses in Proverbs 25,2 where he writes: “it is the glory of G’d to conceal a matter; but it is the glory of kings to search out a matter.” The meaning of that verse is that knowledge of the Lord consists of two aspects, one of which is granted to man whereas the other is denied to man. The knowledge which is granted to man is not something which is self-evident to everyone but requires serious study and investigation. Solomon means that by careful analysis of how G’d responded to a variety of events we can form a reasonably accurate picture of His essence. This is what Jeremiah 9,23 had in mind when he wrote: “but only in this should one glory; in his earnest devotion to Me. For I the Lord act with kindness, Justice, and equity in the world.” In other words, knowledge of G’d means familiarity with His attributes; man is to recognize the extreme wisdom with which the Lord acts as a leader in His universe. It is not possible to get to know G’d in abstract terms by talking about attributes in a theoretical way; the only way to obtain a working knowledge of the Lord is to study His actions to the extent He has revealed them throughout history. G’d is distant from us by reason of the essence of His glory, whereas on the other hand, He is most close to us by reason of His actions, i.e. His constant involvement in all that goes on in our lives. This can best be illustrated by means of a parable using the sun as our example. On the one hand, the sun and its effect on our lives is visible and is felt on an ongoing basis; on the other hand, it is millions of miles removed from us. In spite of the great distance the sun is separated from us we are unable even to look at it without becoming blinded. If this is true of a visible and tangible body such as the sun, how much more so is it true of the essence of G’d. This is what Solomon meant in the verse we quoted earlier.
G’d responded to him in the following way: “I will allow all My goodness to pass before you” (verse 19). Moses’ second request, i.e. הראני נא את כבודך, “let me see Your glory” (verse 19), was denied. In response to this second request G’d told Moses that it is not given to mortal man to have a vision of G’d’s glory while alive.
Solomon elaborates concerning these two requests of Moses in Proverbs 25,2 where he writes: “it is the glory of G’d to conceal a matter; but it is the glory of kings to search out a matter.” The meaning of that verse is that knowledge of the Lord consists of two aspects, one of which is granted to man whereas the other is denied to man. The knowledge which is granted to man is not something which is self-evident to everyone but requires serious study and investigation. Solomon means that by careful analysis of how G’d responded to a variety of events we can form a reasonably accurate picture of His essence. This is what Jeremiah 9,23 had in mind when he wrote: “but only in this should one glory; in his earnest devotion to Me. For I the Lord act with kindness, Justice, and equity in the world.” In other words, knowledge of G’d means familiarity with His attributes; man is to recognize the extreme wisdom with which the Lord acts as a leader in His universe. It is not possible to get to know G’d in abstract terms by talking about attributes in a theoretical way; the only way to obtain a working knowledge of the Lord is to study His actions to the extent He has revealed them throughout history. G’d is distant from us by reason of the essence of His glory, whereas on the other hand, He is most close to us by reason of His actions, i.e. His constant involvement in all that goes on in our lives. This can best be illustrated by means of a parable using the sun as our example. On the one hand, the sun and its effect on our lives is visible and is felt on an ongoing basis; on the other hand, it is millions of miles removed from us. In spite of the great distance the sun is separated from us we are unable even to look at it without becoming blinded. If this is true of a visible and tangible body such as the sun, how much more so is it true of the essence of G’d. This is what Solomon meant in the verse we quoted earlier.
Rav Hirsch
Daß der Inhalt der hier ausgesprochenen und Kap. 34, 6 verwirklichten Gewährung dem Gegenstande nach nur das הודיעני נא את דרכך der ersten Bitte in Erfüllung brachte, ist aus Ps. 103, 7-8 klar, wo auf die Kap. 34, 6 Mosche gewordene Offenbarung mit den Worten hingeblickt wird: יודיע דרכיו למשה וגו׳.